THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 73, 27 March 1920, Page 7

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

SURFACE LABOURERS' WAGES. COMPANY'S EXPLANATION. No new developments have occurred in regard to the Waihi strike. Mr. Chaa. Rhodes, on behalf of the company, stated this morning that the employers still occupied the same position, and were prepared to submit the whole matter to the Court of Arbitration. Mr. Khodes added that a good deal has been made of the statement that a few surface labourers at Waihi received only 12/3 per day, while the Arbitration Court's minimum was 12/8, and remarked that it was not often mentioned that miners averaged 17/6. As a matter of fact, said Mr. Rhodes, a surfaceman working at Waihi received 13/0} per day of S hours for five days per "week, and 8/2 on Saturdays for five hours' work. The Court's minimum of 12/S was arrived at by taking their award at 1/3$ per hour basic wage, plus 3*d war bonus, making a total of 1/7 per hour. The Waihi rate was actually 1/7.6 per hour, and, in addition, the broken time was exceedingly small. Working conditions wore good and house rent much less than elsewhere in the province.